Diocesan Heritage Project
Kildimo-Pallaskenry Parish

Kildimo village is located on the N69, from Limerick to Tralee.
Pallaskenry village is located a little over a mile to the north of the main
Limerick to Askeaton road. There are approximately 650 houses in the parish.

The parish of Kildimo/Pallaskenry is in the barony of Kenry.
The present day parish is made up of what were once the parishes of Kildimo,
Ardcanny and Chapelrussell. Chapelrussell parish was once called Killuragh,
Killenalotar or Killulta.

The name Kildimo comes from the Irish Cill Díoma,
meaning the church of St Díoma. The old people of the parish used to
pronounce the name 'Kildeema'. According to Mainchín Seoige,
St Díoma is said to have flourished in the second half of the 5th century.
He was reputedly of royal stock, the son of Cas, king of Munster, and an uncle
of St Munchin, patron of the diocese of Limerick. His feastday is May 12th.

Pallaskenry comes from the Irish Pailís Chaonraí
meaning 'The Pallisaded Fortress of Kenry'. The Caonraí were
a Celtic tribe who occupied this part of Limerick in the remote past, who
gave their name to the barony of Kenry.

Kildimo village once centred on the area now known as Old
Kildimo, about a mile south of the present day village. However, with the
construction of the N69 from Limerick to Tralee the present day village, known
as New Kildimo, began to rise up. New Kildimo used to be called 'The Line'
after the road on which it grew up.

There are several castles in the area, including Cullam castle,
Ballyculhane castle and Dromore castle. Dromore castle is unusual in that
it was built late in the 19th century in the style of a fairytale castle.

There have been a few interesting finds in the area, including
the Shannongrove Collar which was found at a depth of 12feet in a bog on lands
granted to Phineas Bury during Cromwellian plantations. A bone crucifix was
found around the 1950's at Dog's Island, the boggy ground between Dromore
Lake and a very small lake east of it.

In 1922 the Salesians of Don Bosco bought land from George
Caulefield and set up an agricultural college. Along with the agricultural
college, there is also a secondary school in the college.

Churches

The present day parish church in Kildimo is located in the
village. The inscription on the foundation stone of the church states that
it was blessed and laid by Bishop Murphy on January 6th 1969, with John Godfrey,
P.P. The church is dedicated to St Joseph.

The main altar of the church was donated by the O'Sullivan
family, Ballynolan. There is a statue of Our Lady Help of Christians to the
left of the altar. To the right of the altar is a statue of St Joseph. The
accompanying plaques ask parishioners to pray for the Cahill family. There
is a depiction of the crucifixion behind the altar.

The Stations of the Cross were taken from the old parish church.
The stained glass windows in the church were designed to incorporate windows
taken from the old church. Examples of this can be seen in the window at the
back of the church, as well as the depiction of St Agnes in the centre window
on the left-hand side of the church, and the depiction of St Brigid in the
centre window on the right hand side of the church.
Stained glass windows on either side of the altar depict the Good Shepherd
on the left, and the Holy Family on the right.

There is a statue to Our Lady in the grounds of the church. Memorial plaques
to Canon John Wallace, P.P. 1937-1953, and Canon David Fitzgerald, P.P. 1953-1963
are also in the churchyard.
Buried in the grounds of the church are:

John P. Godfrey
Parish Priest
January 1963 - June 1977

Canon David Crowley
Parish Priest
August 1977 - November 1998

The church in Pallaskenry is located in the centre of Pallaskenry
village. It was built in 1863, and is dedicated to St Mary. To the left of
the church is a grotto to our Lady. There are two statues in the church grounds,
a statue of St Brigid on the left, and a statue of St Anne on the right. The
Redemptorists erected a Mission cross in August 1877. Gerard O'Shea, Jim Nolan
and the Ward brothers gave the site for the church in Pallaskenry. Mr. T.
Sheehan who was the architect for the church donated the tabernacle.

The stained glass windows on the left include windows donated
by Canon Wallace in 1945. The window at the top of the church of St James
and St John was a gift from John Bourke, P.P.

The stained glass windows on the right hand side of the church
also include gifts from John Bourke, P.P. (depictions of the Blessed Virgin
Mary and St Joseph), and Canon Wallace. Fr John Bourke was responsible for
refurbishing the church.

The stained glass windows behind the altar depict a variety
of scenes from the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and include St Joachim
and St Anne. To the right of the altar, there is a statue depicting Mary and
child. There is also a statue of St Patrick at the back of the church.

Buried within the church is:

John Bourke
Parish Priest for 27 years and 11 months
Died January 5th 1892
Aged 85

Buried in the grounds of the church are:

John Quinlan
Parish Priest
Died 18th January 1907

Canon John O'Donnell
Parish Priest for 17 years
Died October 8th 1925
Aged 69

James Moloney
Parish Priest from January 13th 1892
Died July 1904
Aged 64

There is a church ruin in the townland of Mellon. This is the ruin of a Protestant
church, which was built in 1738 on the site of what was once a Catholic Church
known as Ardcanny church. The church ruin is quite large, and is mostly intact,
although it is possible that part of the church has been rebuilt. Prayers
are held here in November of each year. Ardcanny was once the parish name
of this area. The name was derived from the Irish Árd Caithne, the
height of the arbutus tree.

Killulta church is a remarkable building. This ruin, which
is in excellent condition, probably dates from the 9th century. In his Topographical
dictionary of Ireland, Lewis describes a church in the western extremity of
the parish, the ruins of which were 12 feet long and 8 broad. Lewis mistakenly
believed the church to have been built by the Knights Templars in 1290. However,
others date the church to pre-1100. Some writers have dated this church 450-480AD,
but its appearance does not support this claim. The area surrounding the church
was once used as a burial ground, although no trace of this remains. In his
local history of the area, Kenry, Mairtín Ó Corrbhuí
wrote that a bronze pin, four inches long was found hereabout 1935. He also
wrote that a bronze sword was found near a circle of stones west of the church
about 1850. The present whereabouts of this sword are unknown. The name can
be translated as Cill an Ultaigh, the church of the Ulsterman, or as Cill
Ultain, the church of St Ultain.

The old parish church in Kildimo is situated in Old Kildimo.
This church was sold when the new parish church was built, and is now in use
by a private business.

According to Spellissy/O'Brien's The Rich Land at the time
when Fr Connery was parish priest of the area, there was not only a church
in old Kildimo, but also another Catholic Church at Whiteforge. However, we
did not find a ruin of this church. Mairtín Ó Corrbuí
lists this church as a mass house, although other sources describe it as a
chapel. Rev Thomas Shanahan was the last parish priest to celebrate mass in
Whiteforge, as in 1863, the year before his death, the present church in Pallaskenry
was opened. The water font from the Whiteforge church was moved into the new
church.

There was a church in the townland of Kildacolam, but all
traces of this church have now disappeared. The townland is now known as Court
townland, but a castle in the area still bears the name Kildacolum. This castle
is believed to have been built by the Fitzgerald's in 1514.

Díoma himself may have founded the church of St Díoma,
from which Kildimo derives its name, or it may have been erected after his
time, in his honour, according to Mainchín Seoige. It was located in
the old churchyard of Kildimo, although no trace of it remains.

The church of Chapelrussell was located half a mile east of
Pallaskenry as early as 1418. No trace of this church remains now, although,
the graveyard is still in use. Westropp says that a gold fibula was found
near the site in 1834.

According to Westropp there was once a church in Kilmorine
townland at the south-west angle of Kildimo parish, although the site is no
longer known. There was also a church in the townland of Killashee, and again
the site of this is no longer known.

Mairtín Ó Corrbuí also mentions townlands
in the parish that derive their names from old church sites, although no trace
of a ruin exists any longer. Kilmacat, Cill mo Cháit, the church of
St Catherine, and Kilasuragh (now called Shannongrove), Cill na Siúrach,
the nun's church, are both townlands in the parish today. However, no trace
of a ruin exists in either townland.

As well as the mass house at Whiteforge, Ó Corrbuí
mentions a mass house in Dromore townland. He says that this mass house was
strange in that it was located so close to the mass house at Whiteforge.

Kildimo graveyard is located in Old Kildimo, near the site
of the old parish church. This graveyard has been extended in recent years.
Canon John Wallace, Parish Priest from 1937-1953, and Canon David Fitzgerald,
Parish Priest 1953-1963 are buried in the old section of the graveyard.

The oldest headstone that we found was located against the
wall in the old section of the graveyard. It is in memory of Rev. Daniel O'Brien,
P.P., who died on July 31st 1777, aged 77 years. There is a grotto to Mary
in the new section of the graveyard.

Chapelrussell graveyard in Pallaskenry is situated approximately
half a mile form the village of Pallaskenry, beside part of the Salesian College
land. This graveyard is overgrown. The oldest headstone that we found here
was in memory of Patrick Burns, who died on February 15th 1801, aged 27. Many
of the headstones were quite worn, however, and were difficult to decipher.

There is a graveyard in the townland of Mellon, which surrounds the church
ruin. Both Catholics and Protestants are buried in this graveyard. The oldest
headstone that we found here was in memory of Denis Hogan, who died on February
6th 1739, aged 67. There are a couple of tombs in the graveyard that are still
in use. An interesting headstone here is in memory of the Rev. Samuel Jones,
who died on October 4th 1849, aged 79. According to Spellissy/O'Brien's The
Rich Land, Rev. Samuel Jones founded a seminary in Kildimo soon after he was
appointed Rector of Ardcanny to train parish clerks and school masters. Rev.
Jones was in charge of the seminary from 1808 to 1817.

Mairtín Ó Corrbuí says that there was
once a graveyard around the old church ruin of Killulta church. However, no
trace of this graveyard remains today.

There was also reputed to have been a children's graveyard
in Coughlan's land, once part of the charter school, however, little is known
about this graveyard today.

St Brigid's well is located in the townland of Cartown, on
land owned by the Kennedy's. The well is nicely kept. A wall encloses the
well, and there is a stone covering over it. Statues to St Brigid have been
placed beside the well. An inscription over one of the statues bears the date
summer 1920. Rounds are still made at this well on February 1st. Danaher tells
of several legends associated with the well. The water cannot boil. A woman
cured of blindness saw a fish in the well. A man brought a blind horse to
the well; the horse was cured and the man became blind. The water was drunk
and applied to afflicted eyes and limbs.

Near St. Brigid's well lived a man called John Cleary. He
lived at the lodge at the entrance of Cartown House. He got rheumatic fever
but had great faith in St Brigid. John promised that if his life were spared,
he would do up the well. He recovered from the rheumatic fever and kept his
promise to renovate the well. John Cleary placed a statue of St Brigid at
the well and he also built a wall around the well.
When the Board of Works blasted the river Maigue to deepen the bed of the
river, it affected the spring, lowering the water level in the well.

Danaher also mentions a well in the townland of Tobermurry
called Tobar Mhuire. This well was a slow spring surrounded by a wall of dry
stone. Crowds used to gather here on August 15th, although there are no longer
any devotions here. It was believed that a fish would be seen in the well
by those about to be cured, and that the water could not be boiled. Mairtín
Ó Corrbuí tells of a story related to this well which says that
on August 15th, Lady's Day, of one year, the priest failed to show up for
devotions at the well. The local people were so disgusted that they stayed
away from the well from then on.

The list of Priests from 1704 to 1836 is compiled from information gained
in Begley's History of the Diocese of Limerick Vol. III page 598. The remaining
years are compiled from the Catholic Directories. Information contained in
a directory of any given year refers to what happened the previous year. For example
if a priest is recorded in the 1954 directory as being in a particular parish,
this would mean that he was actually there in 1953.